Our regular round-up of the latest insights on investment distribution
Tax rises have a silver lining for the UK advice sector
Tax planning is a key feature of advisers’ propositions. It’s a major value-add for clients and helps justify advisers’ annual charging business model – as we discuss in the latest report from Platforum UK Financial Advisers: Market Overview.
How to increase adviser productivity
The advice market has suffered from capacity constraints in recent years, with an apparent excess of demand over supply. Adviser numbers have been growing steadily, but the pandemic has stalled progress and recruitment continues to be a challenge for advice firms...
How the pandemic has impacted on the European fund industry
The European fund industry looks as if it’s emerged unscathed from the havoc created by the COVID-19 – just looking at its buoyant figures for assets under management. But the reality is that the pandemic has accelerated several pre-existing trends that will cause...
The effect of M&A on platform use
Platform M&A activity doesn’t have the greatest impact on adviser behaviour – not immediately at least. Advisers will of course take notice, but there isn’t a red flag instantly halting all business to a platform just because it is being sold or merged. Such...
Financial regulators and the crusade against greenwashing
The FCA’s recent letter to chairs of authorised fund managers sets out the regulators’ expectations for ESG and sustainable investment funds. The aim is the same as the EU’s SFDR – fighting greenwashing by asset managers. The UK version is different in some ways,...
More M&A in the wealth management market
Further concentration is coming in the wealth management market, as Raymond James announced last week that it was looking to acquire Charles Stanley. There are efficiencies to be gained from scale in wealth management. Firms have increasingly focused on...